The New American Economy (NAE) and Welcoming America selected the Â鶹ӳ»’s Northern Â鶹ӳ» International Center to receive a Research award as part of the fourth cohort of the initiative. Launched in 2016, G4G is a competitive opportunity for localities to receive research support and/or technical assistance from NAE and Welcoming America to improve immigrant inclusion in their communities.
“Participating in the 2021 G4G challenge is a huge honor for our city; although Reno is known as the Biggest Little City, our community has made huge strides in terms of economic diversification, cultural, ethnic and racial advancements, and integration of newcomers,” Carina Black, executive director of NNIC, said. “Last week, we were notified that the City of Reno will be an official 2021 G4G city and NNIC will take the lead in the strategic plan for the effort.”
In light of the scale and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Gateways for Growth Challenge this year prioritized localities that demonstrated a public-private commitment to better integrating immigrants into recovery efforts and emergency management systems. As the country looks to rebuild and set a more inclusive path forward nationally, Reno and Washoe County, as part of the G4G 2020 cohort, will lay the groundwork and build the infrastructure for economic, civic and social inclusion at the local level.
“NNIC has been working with a number of community partners in the effort to highlight the contributions of immigrants to our communities,” Black said. “Some of the local community partners – in addition to the City of Reno – include the Chamber, the Governor’s Office for New Americans, the University’s Latino Resource Center and others.”
This year’s awardees, alongside Reno and Washoe County, include Dayton, Ohio; Cleveland, Ohio; Columbus, Ohio; Contra Costa County, California; Erie, Pennsylvania; Gainesville, Florida; Lancaster County, Nebraska; Los Angeles, California; Mercer County, New Jersey; Miami-Dade County, Florida; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Ottawa County, Michigan; Passaic County, New Jersey; Saint Paul, Minnesota; San Mateo County, California; Southwest Kansas; Spokane, Washington; and Washtenaw County, Michigan.
“We are thrilled to see the Gateways for Growth Challenge expand to another set of localities that reflect the diversity of our nation,” Christina Pope, senior network director at Welcoming America, said. “With each cohort, there is an opportunity to support and connect local leaders making their communities more welcoming and resilient places where everyone, including immigrants, can prosper and belong.”
As in previous years, G4G awardees will receive a combination of:
- Customized quantitative research reports from NAE on the demographic and economic contributions immigrants make in their communities; and/or
- Tailored technical assistance from NAE and Welcoming America to help communities draft, execute and communicate a multi-sector immigrant inclusion strategy.
Year-round, NAE and Welcoming America maintain an interactive map that serves as a clearinghouse for the successes of all current and prior G4G awardees.
“The Gateways for Growth program helps communities quantify what many people already know – that immigrants play a key role in driving growth,” Mo Kantner, director of state and local initiatives at New American Economy, said. “We’re excited to see how these communities can use data and technical assistance to support their work to ensure that all residents are welcome and have pathways to success.”
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New American Economy (NAE) is a bipartisan research and advocacy organization founded to educate, empower and support policymakers, influencers, and citizens across the country that see the economic and social benefits of a smart approach to immigration reform. NAE has created a coalition of civic, business, and cultural leaders who span the political spectrum and represent all 50 states. NAE makes the case for smart immigration reform in four ways:
-We generate and use to demonstrate how immigration impacts our economy;
-We at the grassroots and influencer levels to build support for immigration;
-We to advocate for policies that recognize the value immigrants add locally; and
-We show through film, food, art, sports, comedy, and more.
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Welcoming America leads a movement of inclusive communities from across the world in becoming more prosperous by making everyone feel like they belong. Through a membership network of 200+ local governments and nonprofits, Welcoming America connects and supports place-based initiatives that work to reduce divisions and support greater civic, social, and economic participation among new and longtime residents alike. Through the Welcoming Network, participating members access peer learning opportunities, technical assistance, tools, and training to help transform their communities into more welcoming places.
